BOAT CREW HANDBOOK – Boat Operations Sumner I. Kimball, USLSS BCH16114.1 December 2017 Sumner Increase Kimball, USLSS A young lawyer from Maine, Sumner I. Kimball was appointed as the chief of the Treasury Department's Revenue Marine Division in 1871. He had joined the Treasury Department as a clerk 10 years earlier and had proven his abilities as a manager. Using his hard-earned political know-how, and a good dose of Yankee common sense, Kimball proceeded to completely overhaul the Revenue Marine and the hodge-podge system of lifesaving stations along the nation's coast that were also under the control of the Revenue Marine Division. His impact on both organizations would prove to be immeasurable. After the Civil War, the Revenue Marine, and the executive branch agencies generally, came under intense Congressional scrutiny. Economy was the name of the game during this time and expenditures were scrutinized across the board. Hence, Kimball decided to order the construction of new cutters not with iron hulls, which entailed considerable expense, but with proven wood hulls. The total number of petty officers and enlisted men was substantially cut and their pay reduced. Kimball also carried out a vigorous "housecleaning" of incompetent Revenue Marine officers and saw to it that discipline was tightened. A special object of his censure was the use of cutters as personal yachts by local Custom officials, a wide-spread abuse during that time. Kimball also put into effect a merit system to determine promotions. He also made one other great contribution to the quality of the Revenue Marine by establishing, in 1877, a School of Instruction, to train young officers. From this move developed today's Coast Guard Academy, which still trains the majority of the Coast Guard's career officers. But his greatest impact came with his work with what would become the U.S. Life-Saving Service. Since 1848 Congress had been funding strictly volunteer stations, paying for the station and its equipment but relying on the local community to provide unpaid crews when needed. Kimball drew up regulations that set standards for personnel performance, physical standards and station routines. He convinced a parsimonious Congress to increase the funding of the Service to provide for full-time, paid crews, led under the direction of an appointed keeper. New stations were constructed around the coast and were equipped with the finest lifesaving equipment available. In 1878, this growing network of stations was organized as a separate agency of the Treasury Department and was named the U.S. Life-Saving Service. Kimball was chosen as the General Superintendent of the new service. He served in that capacity during the entire existence of the Life-Saving Service until it was merged with the Revenue Cutter Service in 1915 to form the new U.S. Coast Guard. Retrieved from: https://www.uscg.mil/history/people/Sumner_Kimball.asp Commandant US Coast Guard Stop 7324 United States Coast Guard 2703 Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE Washington DC 20593-7324 Staff Symbol: CG-731 Phone: (202) 372-2515 BCH 16114.1 DEC 13, 2017 BOAT CREW HANDBOOK – BOAT OPERATIONS – BCH16114.1 Subj: BOAT CREW HANDBOOK – BOAT OPERATIONS Ref: a. U.S. Coast Guard Boat Operations and Training (BOAT) Manual, Volume I, COMDTINST M16114.32 (series) b. U.S. Coast Guard Boat Operations and Training (BOAT) Manual, Volume II, COMDTINST M16114.33 (series) c. (FOUO) U.S. Coast Guard Boat Operations and Training (BOAT) Manual, Volume III, COMDTINST M16114.42 (series) d. Auxiliary Boat Crew Qualification Guide, Volume I, COMDTINST M16794.52 (series) e. Crewman and Coxswain, COMDTINST M16794.52 (series) f. Auxiliary Boat Crew Qualification Guide, Volume II, COMDTINST M16794.53 (series) g. Auxiliary Operations Policy Manual, COMDTINST M16798.3 (series) h. Operational Risk Management, COMDTINST 3500.3 (series) i. United States Coast Guard Regulations 1992, COMDTINST M5000.3 (series) j. U.S. Coast Guard Addendum to the United States National Search and Rescue Supplement (NSS) to the International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue Manual (IAMSAR), COMDTINST M16130.2 (series) k. Boat Crew Handbook: Seamanship Fundamentals, BCH16114.4 (series) l. Shipboard Lookout Manual, COMDTINST M9450.1 (series) m. The U.S. Coast Guard Addendum to the United States National Search and Rescue Supplement (NSS) to the International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue Manual (IAMSAR), COMDTINST M16130.2 (series) 1. PURPOSE. This Handbook presents the approved methods and procedures for the conduct of Coast Guard boat operations. Major topics within this handbook are boat crew duties and responsibilities, towing, person in the water recovery, rescue assistance and fire fighting, and air operations. 2. DIRECTIVES AFFECTED. The Boat Crew Seamanship Manual, COMDTINST M16114.5C, is canceled. 3. DISCUSSION. This Handbook provides guidance on how to engage in safe and effective boat operations. 4. MAJOR CHANGES. First issue. BCH 16114.1 5. DISCLAIMER. This guidance is not a substitute for applicable legal requirements, nor is it itself a rule. It is intended to provide operational guidance for Coast Guard personnel and is not intended to nor does it impose legally-binding requirements on any party outside the Coast Guard. 6. IMPACT ASSESSMENT. No impact assessment warranted. 7. ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECT AND IMPACT CONSIDERATIONS. a. The development of this Handbook and the general guidance contained within it have been thoroughly reviewed by the originating office in conjunction with the Office of Environmental Management, and are categorically excluded (CE) under current USCG CE #33 from further environmental analysis, in accordance with Section 2.B.2. and Figure 2-1 of the National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Procedures and Policy for Considering Environmental Impacts, COMDTINST M16475.1 (series). Because this Handbook contains guidance documents that implement, without substantive change, the applicable Commandant Instruction and other guidance documents, Coast Guard categorical exclusion #33 is appropriate. b. This Handbook will not have any of the following: significant cumulative impacts on the human environment; substantial controversy or substantial change to existing environmental conditions; or inconsistencies with any Federal, State, or local laws or administrative determinations relating to the environment. All future specific actions resulting from the general guidance in this Handbook shall be individually evaluated for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Coast Guard NEPA policy, and compliance with all other environmental mandates. 7. DISTRIBUTION. No paper distribution will be made of this Handbook. An electronic version will be located on the Office of Boat Forces (CG-731) Portal site: https://cg.portal.uscg.mil/units/cg731/SitePages/Manuals.aspx. 8. FORMS/ REPORTS. None 9. REQUESTS FOR CHANGES. To recommend edits and changes to this Handbook, please submit a formal request at the following link: https://cg.portal.uscg.mil/communities/bfco/doctrine/SitePages/Home.aspx. (MKMXEPP]WMKRIHF]697,.%1)7& 697,.%1)7& (2G!97S!97+SZIVRQIRXSY!(S( SY!4/-SY!97'+ GR!697,.%1)7& (EXI J. BRIAN RUSH U.S. Coast Guard Chief, Office of Boat Forces 2 Boat Crew Handbook – Boat Operations Table of Contents CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 1-1 SECTION A. PURPOSE OF THIS HANDBOOK ............................................................................................................... 1-2 SECTION B. HOW TO USE THIS HANDBOOK .............................................................................................................. 1-3 Chapter Layout .................................................................................................................................................. 1-3 Warnings, Cautions, and Notes ......................................................................................................................... 1-3 CHAPTER 2 BOAT CREW DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES .................................................................................. 2-1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... 2-1 In this Chapter .................................................................................................................................................... 2-1 SECTION A. BOAT CREW MANAGEMENT ................................................................................................................. 2-2 A.1. Coxswain Responsibilities .......................................................................................................................................... 2-2 A.2. Boat Crew Member / Engineer Responsibilities ........................................................................................................ 2-3 A.3. Effective Communications ......................................................................................................................................... 2-3 A.4. Mission Execution ...................................................................................................................................................... 2-3 SECTION B. THE BOAT CREW ...............................................................................................................................